Assist individuals and families to live in communities that provide them with the support they need to function effectively

Services provided in the community need to be effective and achieve results. To get best results, services delivered by community and voluntary organisations need to complement services delivered by government departments. We need to work together to make best use of limited resources. To be successful we need to build strong, trusting relationships both within the community sector and between the sector and government departments. We need to regularly look at new ways of working.

We will build on the strengths and skills of communities and community organisations to help families in need. We will also make it easier for them to work with each other and central government to provide families with support they need so they can take positive action to cope better with adversity. Over the long term this will reduce the need for Government interventions in families' lives.

Community organisations have insight into the issues facing their communities. They know what help is available locally. They are active in finding local solutions to local issues, often in low-cost and innovative ways. While they need to determine their own priorities and to find their own solutions, they also need to work with others. We will broaden and strengthen networks and mechanisms to help community sector organisations work together and with central government on areas of shared concern, such as common clients,governance and funding.

Many organisations want to include a Māori perspective to ensure they deliver services that are both effective and responsive to Māori. Community and voluntary sector organisations find that a strong understanding of kaupapa Māori improves the effectiveness of their services to Māori.

Many unpaid New Zealanders care for friends, family or whānau members who cannot manage everyday living without help and support. Barriers to self-care often include ill health, disability, old age or mental health issues. Part of our role is to promote carers being supported and recognised for their contribution. Whānau ora, a whānau-centered approach to policy development, involves facilitating positive and responsive relationships within whānau - recognising the need for a whole-of-government/whole-of-sector approach4 to meet all elements of whānau wellbeing.

Over the next three years we will:

Meet the needs of those most affected by the economic downturn. We will do this by implementing a fund for non-government community based organisations to address the demand for social services due to the recession.

Support through a Contingency Fund those NGOs delivering critical community based social services and facing cost pressures and demand pressures as a result of the recession.

Help refugees and migrants identify their own social support needs so they can take part more fully in life in their community through community based services.

Ensure informal carers know about the supports available to them by distributing a Carers' Strategy Information Pack.

Facilitate and co-ordinate Government engagement with communities through a regional community and voluntary sector network. This will enable non-government organisations to share common concerns and to connect with central Government on new solutions to both local and organisational issues.

Support an integrated approach to whānau wellbeing, which includes collaborative relationships between the State sector and the recognition of intermediaries between the State and whānau who are able to champion whānau interests.